Author: Paul Stukel

A 35-year-old Chicago man has been denied pre-trial release after he was arrested last week when Naperville police found a loaded Glock 45 in his vehicle outside of a Naperville bowling alley. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres announced that Judge Joshua Dieden has granted the State’s motion to detain pre-trial the suspect, a convicted felon, charged with one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Repeat Felony Offender (a Class X Felony) and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon – Prior Conviction (a Class 2…

In a bizarre incident involving a driver allegedly flashing a weapon and impersonating a law enforcement officer in an attempt to force another driver to stop, an Aurora police officer reportedly fired a shot that hit the suspect’s vehicle although the suspect was no longer inside of it. On Friday morning at approximately 9:33am, Aurora Police Officers responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a driving-related altercation in the area of Jackson Street and East Benton Street. The caller stated the other driver was following him, had displayed a firearm, and made statements claiming to be law enforcement in an effort…

[Editor’s Note: As a matter of policy, Fox Valley Magazine does not publish the name or likeness of suspects in criminal cases, based on the injustice of the accused, who remains innocent until convicted, being publicly smeared before being able to provide a proper defense. In this instance, the public’s awareness of the charges and circumstances thereof, including the identity of the accused, warrant an exemption from this policy. But the reader should be aware that the suspect has only been accused at this point. He remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.] The Kane County State’s…

A 51-year-old Aurora man has been found guilty of murder in the January 2024 shooting of Serhonda Burnett on Aurora’s near-west side. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announced today that a jury has found Travares O. Mitchell guilty of First-Degree Murder (Class M felony) and Armed Habitual Criminal (Class X felony). According to prosecutors, on January 13, 2024, Aurora police officers responded to a single-vehicle crash and shots fired near Prairie Street and Woodlawn Avenue in Aurora. Officers found the 46-year-old Burnett, the sole occupant and passenger in the crashed vehicle, suffering from numerous gunshot wounds. She was…

The Aurora Police Department and the Kane County Coroner’s Office have released an update on the fatal shootings that occurred Saturday at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora. “The Kane County Coroner responded to an incident at the Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora which occurred on November 22, 2025. Two decedents were transported to the Kane County Coroner’s Office. The two individuals have been positively identified as Jazmine Barclay, age 24, of Aurora, and Bryan Heineman, age 43, of Naperville,” said Kane County Coroner, Dr. Monica Silva. “On behalf of my entire staff, I wish to relay our deepest condolences to…

Two victims are dead and one remains in critical condition after shots broke out at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora Saturday evening. According to police, at around 9:10pm, Aurora Police Dispatch received multiple 911 calls for shots fired at 205 North Broadway (Two Brothers Roundhouse), where responding officers found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Patrol officers began life-saving measures before Aurora Fire Paramedics transported two of the victims to area hospitals. One adult female victim was transported to an area hospital and later pronounced dead; one adult male victim was transported at an area hospital and is in critical…

A 32-year-old Aurora man has accepted a plea deal of 13 years in prison for “Involuntary Servitude” involving the effective enslavement of women for prostitution. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announced today that Jamar R. Hare has agreed to a sentence of 13 years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to six counts of Involuntary Servitude, a class X felony. Each count includes a different named victim.  Judge David Kliment accepted the plea. According to prosecutors, during 2020 and 2021 Hare made money from a scheme that involved men paying for sexual…

One person was killed and one injured when a vehicle struck two pedestrians in downtown West Chicago Saturday afternoon. At approximately 1:32 pm, West Chicago Officers responded to the intersection of Main Street and Washington Street for a report of two pedestrians struck by a motor vehicle. Upon arrival, officers observed the two victims in the roadway with injuries. West Chicago Fire Protection District paramedics responded and transported both victims to area hospitals where one died from their injuries. The vehicle’s driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators. The name of the victim is being withheld pending…

A 27-year-old Montgomery man pleaded guilty this week to murder related to a 2022 gang-related shooting in Aurora. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announced yesterday that Alonzo Sanchez pleaded guilty to first-degree murder (a class M felony), and accepted a sentence of 25 years in prison. On the afternoon of September 24, 2022, a white sedan driven by Sanchez pulled up to the 300 block of Center Avenue in Aurora along with co-defendant Samuel Garcia, who exited the passenger seat brandishing a silver revolver. Garcia confronted two men, yelled gang slogans, and fired the revolver at one of…

According to a post on its Chicago Facebook page, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is seeking assistance in identifying a suspect involved in the November 8 armed bank robbery at US Bank in St. Charles. The FBI also posted photos of the suspect from surveillance cameras at the bank. The photos show a masked man in a camouflage hoodie and Chicago Bears baseball cap holding a handgun. Tips can be submitted (even anonymously) at 312-421-6700 and tips.fbi.gov. The bank, located at 135 Smith Road on St. Charles’ east side, was robbed by an armed offender Saturday around noon, according…